One of the main parts of the celebration is the creation of a mural in the library hallway. Muralist Caren Olmstead is leading the effort, but everyone in the school is helping to paint the mural.

Using historic photos of students taken during different eras in Washington School, Olmstead recreated scenes from the past. Some were of things that seldom happen today, such as dancing around a May Pole, practicing cursive writing on a black board and creating a mural. Others were of typical school scenes — eating lunch, taking a book out of a book shelf. It took her three days to draw in the outlines of the various scenes in the mural.

Friday morning, first grade students sat in the middle of the hallway listening intently to Olmstead. Olmstead, who does school residencies for mural projects, gave specific instructions to the children: “Don’t put the cup of paint on the floor;” “If there’s a drip, call someone;” “Don’t put the brush on the floor.”

The first grade students, some dwarfed by make-shift smocks, with blue cloth booties over their shoes, then lined up to pick up their plastic cups of paint and a brush. Parents helped wrangle the children and Olmstead took each child to a part of the mural and told them where to paint and, sometimes, outlining the spot.

The children, all from Heidi Klebaur’s class, concentrated as they painted and, from time to time, a child would call out, “I dripped” and a parent would quickly clean it up.

Olmstead said she began the mural on Thursday, Nov. 29, and that it would be finished by “next Friday,” Dec. 14.

The kids were totally engrossed in their painting. Maggie Franco, when asked if she liked to paint, said, “Yes.”

Claire Tretheway said she likes to paint because, “I get to use colors.” Asked what her favorite color was, she said, “I love pink.”

Soon it was time for the children to clean up, wash their hands and return to their regular work.

Another art class would make its contribution to the mural later in the day.

In the meantime, other staff members might help. Doug Maddy, the head custodian, had already painted a section.